- Location: Chatsworth, GA
- Accident Number: ERA26FA350
- Date & Time: September 26, 2026, 11:20 Local
- Registration: N1102J
- Aircraft: Aero Commander 112
- Injuries: 1 Fatal
- Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203879/pdf
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N1102J
On September 26, 2026, about 1120 eastern daylight time, an Aero Commander 112, N1102J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Chatsworth, Georgia. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to the pilot's wife, the purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane from Martin Campbell Field (1A3), Copperhill, Tennessee, to Dalton Municipal Airport (DNN), Dalton, Georgia. She stated that she dropped the pilot off at 1A3 on the morning of the accident about 0930 so that he could pick up the airplane from maintenance. She recalled that the pilot had taken the airplane for maintenance after the pilot heard an audible warning noise related to the left main landing gear after turning on the airplane electrical power. She stated that the mechanic believed it was a switch, so he sprayed the switch with a water displacing chemical and then cycled the landing gear several times. On the morning before the flight, the mechanic had planned to cycle the landing gear one last time before the pilot took the airplane to DNN.
According to ADS-B data provided by the FAA, the airplane departed from 1A3 at 1056 and flew toward the south. The airplane then turned toward the west at 1103 and continue toward DNN. The airplane's final ADS-B observed position was recorded at 1110, with the airplane at an altitude of 4,600 ft mean sea level (msl) and located about 11 miles east of DNN. The accident site was located in a small hay field about 1 mile southeast of DNN, and there were no known witnesses to the accident.
The wreckage was examined at the accident site. The right fuel tank was breached, and the fuel selector was observed in between the right fuel tank and off positions. Air was blown through the right fuel line at the wing root, through the fuel selector to the firewall with no blockages observed. Fuel was present at the firewall when air was applied to the right fuel system line. The fuel strainer was impact-separated from the airplane. Fuel was found within the fuel injector unit. The fuel manifold did not contain any debris and the fuel lines to the fuel injectors were secure. The fuel injectors were unobstructed.
The engine-driven fuel pump, oil filter, and fuel injector unit were impact-separated from the engine. The engine's crankshaft was rotated by hand when force was applied to the crankshaft flange. Thumb compression and suction were observed on all four cylinders, valve action movement was observed, and continuity of the crankshaft to the camshaft was observed throughout the engine. The engine cylinders were examined with a lighted borescope and no anomalies were observed. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the engine were observed.
The airplane was equipped with a two-blade, controllable-pitch propeller. One propeller blade remained straight and was undamaged. The second blade was bent aft about 8 inches from the tip.
Video footage obtained from first responders showed that fuel was visibly leaking steadily from the right fuel tank when they arrived at the accident site.
According to the mechanic who had performed the most recent maintenance of the airplane, the airplane had consistently had small problems since the pilot purchased it. Most recently, the pilot was having a problem starting the engine. The mechanic flow-tested the fuel injector nozzles and found that they were not flowing evenly, so he replaced them with new nozzles. During the fuel nozzle troubleshooting, the mechanic removed a piece of debris, similar to silicone, from the fuel injector line. The pilot also had a problem starting the engine on a recent flight that was attributed to the Bendix drive on the starter not engaging, so he replaced the starter. Most recently, and in the days prior to the accident flight, the pilot reported to him that when he turned on electrical power, he immediately saw and heard the left main landing gear unlocked indication and horn. The mechanic attributed it to a sticking switch, so he sprayed it with a water displacing spray and cycled the gear several times. He then left the airplane on jacks and cycled the gear one last time on morning of the accident flight. The mechanic added that during the engine runup, he radioed to the pilot that if he had a left gear unlocked indication during the flight, it was likely just that switch, and that he should not be concerned. The mechanic provided a fuel receipt that showed the pilot had obtained 35.6 gallons of 100LL the day prior to the flight.
Audio of the DNN common traffic advisory frequency was obtained from a security camera mounted in the lobby of the airport that also captured radio traffic. The audio included radio calls from the accident pilot, and no distress calls could be heard.
Flight logbooks for the pilot were reviewed, but no entries were made after June 21, 2026. The pilot's wife stated that the pilot flew several times after the last logbook entry date. At the time of the last logbook entry, the pilot recorded a total of 125.7 hours. He had accumulated a total of 14.9 hours in the accident airplane as of the last recorded logbook entry. The pilot received his complex airplane endorsement on July 15, 2025.
The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination.
